Friday, December 29, 2006

One of the Heroes of Black Hawk Down Is a Convicted Child Molester

The movie Black Hawk Down was one of the biggest box office draws of 2001, and it earned itsdirector, Ridley Scott, an Oscar nomination. (He didn't win, but the movie got two AcademyAwards for editing and sound.) Based on Mark Bowden's nonfiction book of the same title, itconcerns the disastrous raid of Mogadishu, Somalia, by US elite soldiers in 1993.One of these Special Forces soldiers underwent a name-change as he moved from the printedpage to the big screen. Ranger John "Stebby" Stebbins became Ranger Danny Grimes whenplayed by Scottish heartthrob Ewan McGregor. Why? Because in 2000, Stebbins was court-martialed and sent to the stockade for rape and sodomy of a child under twelve.This decidedly unheroic turn of events was confirmed by the Army, the Fort Leavenworthmilitary prison (Stebby's home for the next 30 years), and Black Hawk Down's author. Bowdentold the New York Post that the Army asked him to change Stebbins' name in the screenplay inorder to avoid embarrassing the military.In an email to the newspaper, Stebby's ex-wife, Nora Stebbins, wrote: "They are going to makemillions off this film in which my ex-husband is portrayed as an All-American hero when thetruth is he is not."

17 comments:

I agree with Caramia. I realize he screwed up and made a terrible mistake. However, he is still a war hero. What he did in Somalia saved lives. John Stebbins was also my drill sergeant in basic training. He was a great leader. I learned a lot from him.

I do not agree at all thats like saying someone who is a rape hound (rapes women,children etc) has a family at home and goes out and hurts people rapes them whatever, but he gets out and does some heroic deed, would you trust him cause he did a good deed? let your child sleep over at his house cause he has a kid? no no sane person would, what this so called war hero did is not a mistake its a disgrace. They make a movie and change his name for a good reason not cause it was a mistake. To Ryan Beasley's comment that he was a great leader/war hero and saved lives changes nothing he is a scumbag who should be nutered. He might of saved lives before but he also ruined them

I have so much respect for vets and the great service they do for all of us, but If a sports player/athlete cheats or uses drugs they take his medals away and disgrace him (neil armstrong) It doesnt matter who and how many he inspired, he commited a crime or a really grievous error. or wait for it a "terrible mistake" as some people refer to. This was a mistake but hurting a child is not a mistake that person is sick, and should never be allowed free again, bring back capital punishment for criiimes like these.

Stop attacking Ryan Beasley for his choice of words. He simply stated what he knew about the man. If you know a person and they commit a terrible act or make a mistake or have an error in judgement does that mean you lose all positive memories of that person? If someone is an asshole and a prick and does something heroic we don't forget our negative experiences with that person. RYAN never once said he supported his actions or approved of rape. He simply stated his memories of the man. You should all focus your attacks on the rapist not every person who has met him and has a nice thing to say about him.

A good act does not wash out the bad, nor a bad the good. You can't take away the fact that he saved so many in Mogadishu. You also can't take away the fact that he's rotting in prison for a very serious crime.